Ohio must pay $1.8M award in fatal pothole crash

COLUMBUS - The state must pay an Ohio woman's family more than $1.8 million for failing to fix the potholes that caused a fatal 2008 traffic crash. The award to the family of Pauline Miller of East Palestine, south of Youngstown, was approved Aug. 30 by the Ohio Court of Claims. The original $3.3 million award was reduced to reflect a settlement with a trucking company and attorney fees. The 49-year-old nurse was killed heading to work in Youngstown when a truck crashed head-on into her vehicle after hitting potholes on state Route 165. A judge ruled the Ohio Department of Transportation was negligent in failing to properly maintain the roadway. An agency spokesman said Tuesday that ODOT has reviewed the decision and is considering its legal options.